Books are the ultimate Dumpees: put them down and they’ll wait for you forever; pay attention to them and they always love you back.”
John Green,
an Abundance of Katherines
With no effort, books can make your winters warm.
The intriguing thing about the winter vacations is curling up with a brilliant book by the fire and a cup of coffee.
It’s the start of November, and we have another bleak winter ahead. No, there are not enough blankets to hide under; to stay warm you indeed need the best winter reads.
Take the excuse the winter is giving you to stay inside and catch up on all the greatest books; you promised your mind and soul to read to but never had a chance.
You prefer to dive in the sea of emotions, others to escape in fantasies of deserts and warmth, some love to resolve the mysteries even before the novel ends.
Here, in this blog, I packed the 50 fascinating books to read this winter.
Muffle up yourself and hunker down to these icy, frosty yet cozy books.
Mystery
Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man’s desire to understand.
-Neil Armstrong
The above quote by a shrewd fellow unfolds the secret of “Mystery” being one of the most selling genres in the world.
Something is fulfilling about the mystery books. Even the bad ones are fun to read; because you are just trying to find out who dun it!
Here are few Mystery books to read over winter break:
1. A Crime In The Neighborhood By Suzanne Berne
A gorgeously suspenseful and beautifully written novel by Suzanne Berne is a compelling story centers a headline event about molestation and murder of a twelve-year-old boy enacted in a quiet suburban neighborhood in the D.C. area. She perfectly replicated the claustrophobic world of family and adolescence. The mystery revolves around Marsha’s character – coming of age following the brutal murder of a young boy in her neighborhood while she grapples with her own fathers betrayal. How she revealed what happened when the fear runs wild.
2. Cutter and Bone by Newton Thornburg
Cutter and Bone is a masterpiece of despair, disillusionment, and mounting dread. There is a mystery in the center of the novel; we could sum it up with a sentence “The story of one man’s possession with another man’s crime.” The tale surrounds two best friends who couldnt be any more different: Richard Bone and Alex Cutter who witnessed a rich tycoon dumping a dead body of a teenage girl and decided to blackmail him. The question is, Whether or not the tycoon murdered the girl?
3. The Cuckoos Calling by J.K Rowling
The best criminal mystery one could wish to read. An author like J.K Rowling is famous for the fantasy and utter brilliance; it was not known that she could master the crime fiction too. The cuckoo’s calling received accolades even from critics. Begin with the main character; Cormoran Strike - a wounded war veteran, with a troubled past, damaged love life and financial woes – who is asked to investigate the death of a model. Who had fallen from a penthouse flat, whether she jumped or was she pushed?
4. Into The Water by Paula Hawkins
Paula Hawkins could be in the list of your favorite authors if Physiological thriller is your genre. Her perfectly decent book “The girl on the train” is a well-written and precisely plotted thriller.
Not everyone can handle it; her most awaited second piece “Into the water” stands on its own and easily separates itself from the predecessor. Twisted, suspenseful, spooky and eerie; the story follows two sisters Nel and Jules. Nel dies in a drowning pool forcing her sister to come to the place she deliberately ran from.
5. The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter
Anyone who reads Karin Slaughter well knows that she delivers urgent, twisting, deeply satisfying novels that pivot on the deceptiveness of emotion and memory. It’s a searing cold-case thriller and psychological mystery.
The story is not for faint-hearted; two sisters Sam and Charlie go through the traumatic and torturous events, and dark past never left them alone. Its not just a thriller but dynamic family drama. The two girls are forced into the woods on the gunpoint, one ran for her life, and the other left behind…
Romance & Erotica
Great Romance needs great words and great textures.
-unknown
Ever wondered what makes the genre so great, because it is more than just a story in which the two people fall in love; it is a specific form of fiction genre not every book with a love story can be classified as a romance novel.
If you are a romance reader looking to heat up your winters with sizzling novels, check out the collection of steamy and sexiest winter books to read over Christmas breaks.
1. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
The eldest of the Bronte sisters, Charlotte Bronte masters in reflecting truthfulness about love and relationship. Not just the characters but the every thick and thin is richly described.
A well-crafted book surrounds an orphan girl named Jane that is trying to figure out the world around her soon meets the master of Thornfield Hall, none other than Mr. Rochester himself and fell hardly in love with him. There is a secret Rochester hiding from Jane. Will Jane be left heartbroken and store took a happy end?
2. Me Before You by Jo Jo Moyes
This romantic novel is a real page-turner. It’s a heart-rending story of Will Traynor, an adventurous businessman who develops paraplegia after being hit by a cycle and a small town girl. Their love-bond gets off a rocky start, but gradually they come to know and eventually love each other. The story then represents the sacrifice of love and life that will undoubtedly leave you in tears. The book makes its way to the conclusion, both Lou and Will learn the importance of having freedom of choice.
No worries, if your heart would sink on leaving Lou and Will; you can further continue with their story in the sequel “After You.”
3. Bared to You by Sylvia Day
Bestselling author Sylvia Dan has won the hearts of money romantic and erotic readers with sophisticated, provocative, titillating, highly erotic, sexually driven read. The title suits the book in many ways than one; it not only applies to the sexual nature of the book but how the main characters give of themselves to one each other in body, mind, heart, and soul. Eva is a smart, self-assured woman who finds herself drawn to the charismatic, enigmatic and brilliant, jagged and white-hot Gideon and there the marathon of emotions started.
4. It ends with us by Colleen Hoover
The person you love the most can hurt you the most. This book standalone in Colleen Hoover collection; it is deep, it is heavy and will lift your heart, devastate you at times, make you proud, fill you with sorrow and make you smile.
It is powerful and intense yet hopeful and lighter in many ways. Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her and started her own business. She meets Ryle Kincaid, then her ex-boyfriend suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.
5. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
If you are finding a good romance, then Pride and Prejudice can be a good read for you. It is a perfect classic romance which says it is about looks and money but mutual understanding. Pride and Prejudice follow the Bennet family, which includes five very different sisters. Mrs. Bennet is extremely desirous to see all her daughters married.
The twist came Smart Charles Bingley takes an immediate interest in the eldest Bennet daughter, the beautiful and shy Jane - and the romance and love starts.
Spiritual & Inspirational
The soul-stirring words can fill you with wisdom, healing, mindfulness and meaning.
-Unknown
How would you define the Spiritual or inspirational genre? The sub-genre of nonfiction and books in this category are about the belief and processes of personal transformation involved with believing in a power greater than one’s self, over the universe.
Read these fascinating books this winter to uplift your spirit, and to get a sense of mind-body integration.
1. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho`s
The Alchemist is the well-crafted and most widely celebrated philosophical book; Paulo Coelho’s has poured his heart and mind in writing this book. Through his words and every inch of the book, he tries to convince the readers that losing hope is what you cannot suppose to do.
It is a self-help book, which fills positivity in the reader. The few positive and philosophical words spun in between the flow of the story of Santiaho in search of his treasure, illustrates a lot about life and existence.
2. The Little Soul and the Sun by Neale Donald Walsch
We always try to give our child the best upbringing, but there are certain things which are hard to explain like death and illusion. Neale Donald wisdom novel shows the concept of life and after death very astutely the pain, suffering, joy, and happiness.
So reading this book to your young child can firmly create an image of mysticism in their minds. Your children will find a God that she or he can love because God is love and admirable.
3. The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A. Singer
Reading this masterstroke, you would realize that people don’t need a therapist to get mentally stable - a book can do it all. If you want to introduce the real meaning of motivation, self-growth, happiness and inner-peace in life; this book can transform your relationship with you and the world around you.
It starts by walking through your relationship with your thoughts and emotions, points out the reasons of low energy and further delves into energy patterns and perfect clarity.
4. The Miracle Morning: The 6 Habits That Will Transform Your Life Before 8AM by Hal Elrod
Hal Elrod brings a dramatic, exciting and a life-changing message in a most beautiful way possible. He told a SAVERS technique to be successful, and you might be wondering what it is, you have to read it to discover because I cannot spoil it here. Six things that need to be done before 8:00 a.m. to master waking up; these habits even transformed the destroyed life of an author.
So he is sure by his experience that it will bring a change in your’s too. Are you?
5. Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life by Jon Kabat
This brilliant book is all about mental peace feel better, reduce your stress, and enjoying life a little more. Jon Kabat writes where to begin and lay out a way for cultivating mindfulness in one`s own life.
It fits for both the long-term practitioner and the new ones actually to everyone who wants to reclaim the richness in their moments. So if you want to know how to enjoy the present this piece of wisdom and insight is for you.
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Science fiction is something that could happen - but usually you wouldn`t want it to Fantasy is something that couldn`t happen - though often you only wish that it could
-Unknown
You always looked at the stars and dreamed of reaching them, to know about the world beyond that and what comes next has always been the part of your imagination – Fantasies transport you to the other planets. If you like exploring limit of your imaginations, you would love to marry the following set of sci-fiction and fantasy.
1. The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin
The Fifth Season allows you the freedom of imagination, flexibility, and bending of reality and room for "what ifs." It is a first book in the trilogy “Broken Earth,” and after reading this, you would not resist reading the sequels. Jemisin will blow you away with his world-building. One day Essun, a woman living in a small town finds out that her husband has mercilessly murdered their son and kidnapped their daughter. Meanwhile, the earth wracked by earthquakes and volcano eruptions. But she ought to do everything to save her daughter.
2. A Thousands Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Do you want to have a real cry while reading a book? Get this book to read over winter break and go under your blanket also grab some snacks because it would be difficult to have a crack at least for hours. The story is about Set in Afghanistan from the 1960s to the 1990s, spanning from Soviet occupation to the Taliban control, following the lives of two women who are married to a same man Rasheed, and their war-torn country.
3. Unremembered by Jessica Brody
“Forgetting who you are is so much more complicated than simply forgetting your name.”
Jessica Brody a fantastic writer with who you always flutter through mysterious openings and experiences new worlds. Unremembered is a first part of the series in which you further encounter other two marvelous books `Unforgotten` and `Unchanged.` The plot is cleverly camouflaged; a sci-fi novel about a girl who is more than what she seems, dealing with a memory loss – the sole survivor of a plane crash but unable to remember anything. Yet there are many sparks to read….
4. Night Road by Kristin Hannah
Night Road is a complete roller coaster of emotions and imaginations. This piece is evidence that Kristin Hannah, an award-winning author could take you through the emotional marathon and would leave you breathless with your heart racing. Jude Farraday has a perfect life and a complete family she always fears that something could go wrong, and it happened in a fraction of seconds her turned exactly she never wanted it to be. The story of love, friendship, and loss will skim the tears.
5. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak evocative
Markus Zusak is a marvelous writer his evocative writing skills are matchless. He wrote a story of youthful curiosity, tenacity and daring set against a backdrop of society. The novel takes place in Germany. A 9-year-old, Liesel Merminger struggles to survive with a foster family in Nazi Germany she learns to read and fight for her life. This fictional portrayal further focuses on the children who barely understand the changes taking place in the world. It will take you on an emotional odyssey narrated by Death.
Horror
What scares me is what scares you. We`re all afraid of the same things. That`s why horror is such a powerful genre.
-John Carpenter
The best thing regarding the Horror genre is its generous nature; the scope for innovation is vast, and the style is very accommodative of oddities such that even weirdest of stuff in horror plots make sense. Behind the scary elements like ghosts, the spirits and the original stories to engage and entertain the reader, there is always a room to teach a bigger lesson.
1. The Bad Seed by William March
May I ask you a question? What if you find that there is a serial killer among the people you live? But the question at the center of William March novel is a bit more critical than this, what ensues to ordinary families into whose midst a child serial killer is born?
The Stories about evil children can be found in the literature. The bad seed is a spine-tingling thriller – the story of child serial killer, Rhoda Penmark the worst part is that she is aware of her evil side.
2. Misery by Stephan King
Misery is an amazing and outstanding piece of literary fiction. This novel was nominated for the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel and was later made into a Hollywood movie. This page-turner is sure to keep you awake the whole night. The main epitome of greatness lies on the characters Paul Sheldon is a bestselling author who just ended his popular series killing off the lead role, once Paul met a car accident but saved by his self-proclaimed number one fan, Annie Wilkes. What she wanted and why she kept him?
3. Wolf winter by Cecilia Ekbäck
Wolf Winter by Cecilia Ekbäck is a very dark and detailed novel. Reading this one will surely give you goosebumps; the author has not left anything unexplained in the surroundings; you would feel the cold, the hunger as the settlers face one of the coldest winters ever, and the terror as things are preceding that is not understandable. Frederika the leading character smell something unusual at the death of their neighbors, Eriksson but Maija, not grasping who to trust and who may misguide her, is determined to find the answers for herself.
4. NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
NOS4A2 is the historical thriller, but there are so many cultural, psychological, and even political layers that make the story even more impressive. Joe Hill, a master of horror, never fails to frighten you. A crime story situated in Swedish Lapland in 1717, parallel plots are written that becomes the crime story itself. Besides this, the author beautifully explained the bleakness through the scenes description of the landscape, crime, the endurance of people and animals during the cold period of the year, protagonists along with everyday life.
5. Let the right one in by Ajvide Lindqvist
Let the right one in is the spine-tingling horror thriller that becomes an award-winning movie after the warm responses by the world-wide readers. Ajvide Lindqvist describes the ugly realities of human life; if you want to see the world with her violet eyes, get this book. It is autumn 1981 when the unimaginable comes to Blackeberg, with a body of a teenager. Twelve-year-old Oskar, expecting that revenge has come at long last—revenge for the bullying he experiences at school, day after day. But all of a sudden, a strange girl appeared –there was something wrong about her.
Conclusion
Imagine it`s a cold winter blowing with snow flurries outside, and you wrapped in your blanket sitting by the fire an obviously having a hot cup of cocoa in hands, getting warm up with a good book. Isn`t it heartwarming? These are kinds of books that are especially good to read cuddled up in the coverlet.
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